Why Roguelikes Don’t Have Diablo-Style Loot—and How Echoes of Myth Handles It

Why don’t roguelikes feature Diablo-style loot systems or loot optimization? ARPGs like Diablo revolve around extensive loot mechanics, where optimizing gear takes time and effort. Losing that progress feels bad—and while hardcore modes exist, they’re not for most players.

I initially experimented with a Diablo-esque randomized loot system as the primary way to gain power in Echoes of Myth, but it quickly became apparent that constantly comparing gear wasn’t fun. A high volume of loot quickly turned into a chore, and when you finally found something powerful, you could lose it by dying in the next level—forcing you to start from scratch.

Another major issue was player agency. Randomized item stats made progression feel almost linear despite the variety of different modifiers. Instead of meaningful choices, the system led to a dull power curve.

The Roguelike Approach to Loot

Roguelikes typically focus on a small number of impactful items, chosen from a limited but randomized pool. Without abandoning itemization completely, I pivoted Echoes of Myth’s design toward hand-crafted divine treasures—powerful spirit-infused artifacts created by the game’s minor and major gods.

Each divine treasure is tied to a deity’s domain, shaping its effects. For example, Väinämöinen’s divine treasures emphasize defensive resistances. Likewise, every skill and spell in the game (except primary melee attacks) is linked to a specific deity, meaning spell-specific stat boosts only appear in that deity’s treasures.

Why This Works Better

By reducing the number of items but making them more powerful, upgrades feel significant rather than just minor percentage boosts, which is a common problem in looter RPGs. This also opens up more opportunities for player choice. Instead of mindlessly cycling through randomized gear, players can interact with mechanics that influence their divine treasure selection, such as:

  • Paying gold to reveal parts of the map (to reveal divine treasures and alternative paths' rewards)
  • Modifying which divine domain’s treasure will appear
  • Deciding between the divine treasures and any other rewards on the alternative paths (e.g. do I need the divine treasure of Lakshmi more than I need weapon upgrade right now)

Additionally, treasure keys will occasionally drop, allowing players to unlock special locked coffers containing additional divine treasures.

Loot System Structure in Echoes of Myth

My current plan is for players to gain two divine treasures per act, with certain modifiers allowing an extra one. Including the starting treasure, this means a typical run will feature 7 to 9 divine treasures, nicely rounding out the player’s equipment set.

I intend to further expand this system, reinforcing divine treasures as the most important semi-controllable power factor during runs. This approach strikes a balance between meaningful itemization, player agency, and the fast-paced nature of roguelike gameplay.

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